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New research for strengthened social services

What support do abused women need and what measures are helpful? How can actors in society become better at collaborating in particularly vulnerable areas. This will be studied in two new projects by researchers at Linnaeus University.

Two projects with the aim to contribute with increased knowledge within social services have been granted funds by the national research council FORTE.

Support to abused women

The study is based on abused women’s own stories. The overall aim is to study the needs of abused women and the expectations and experiences from the support and treatment they have received as a result of their being subjected to abuse.

Through the project, the researchers want to contribute with an increased knowledge about the treatment that is offered at municipal special units and what effects this support has on abused women. The stories of the abused women also contribute to a more thorough understanding among those who have taken part of society’s or the volunteer organisations’ support.

Project title: What works and why? The significance of how interventions and cooperation among organizations affect victims health and well-being.
Granted funding:SEK 4,990,000.
Researchers: Lotta Agevall Gross, Verner Denvall, Cecilia Kjellgren, Johanna Thulin, all active at the department of social work, and Mikael Skillmark, active at Jönköping University.

Interventions in particularly vulnerable areas
In the project, the researchers will study the work and collaboration in so-called particularly vulnerable areas in Sweden. The focus of the study will be on how different actors work to prevent the formation of gangs, social unrest, and what obstacles and positive opportunities that can be found in the established partnerships between different public actors.

Project title: Transcending boundaries in social work. Collaboration in partnerships in interventions in particularly vulnerable areas in Sweden.
Granted funding: SEK 4,353,000.
Researchers: Torbjörn Forkby, Linnaeus University. The study is carried out together with researchers at University of Gothenburg, University of Gävle, Stockholm University, and FOI (Försvarets forskningsinstitut).

Both projects are part of a ten-year, national research programme established by the government to increase knowledge within social services. The national research council FORTE is responsible for the programme. The same call for proposals also granted Linnaeus University funds for establishing a graduate school for professional social workers.